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(ESTD 1982) www.dalitindia.com ssc@dalitindia.com *********************************************************************** |
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– N Manohara Prasad**
We Learn
from Lord Gautama Buddha, Buddha’s Life, Buddha’s
Teachings, Buddha’s Thoughts, Buddhism and Buddhists’ Experiences that Learning is a simple and accumulated
collective Process of Experiences. That is Experiences, enriched by Seeing with
open Eyes, keen Observations, sensible Questioning, careful Listening, seeking
Meaningful Clarifications, polite Acknowledgement of Ignorance, humble
Acceptance of the Unknown, longing for new Explanations, seeking the Masters,
looking for right Teachers, extensive Reading, internal Contemplation, deep
Analysis, serious Thinking, full Reflection, self-Realisation, exchange of
Ideas, peaceful Discussions, constructive Debates, quest for Knowledge, thirst
for Answers, search for Solutions, and Love Affection Concern and Compassion
for others – especially the poor, weak, sick, infirm and the old. That, not leaning on others, relying on
somebody, believing in prevailing incomplete and partial views, accepting
existing explanations, repeating parrot like others opinions, quoting the
predecessors, would only bind the mind, tethering the self to the irrational
norms, leading one onto only the beaten-tracts
and old Paradigms that would never provide the right Answers, correct
Solutions or Deliver anyone or the Society.
Buddha,
his humility, contemplation, concern, compassion and love for all – including the
animals, sick, suffering, miserable and old - his worry, thinking, meditation
and enlightenment, acceptance of Realities of Life and Laws of Nature; his
Sermons, Teachings, Success and Life, are all collectively the greatest Message for Peace and Justice in
the World. Emergence success spread
and ultimate Weakening, Decay, Destruction, and then the virtual extermination and banishment of Buddhism
from the Land of its Birth is a reality we must recognise, when talking of any aspect of Buddhism and
Buddhists in this Country. Of equal
value and importance in this respect, are the Revival of Buddhism, and its Relevance
for the Nation, meaning for the helpless weak and the marginalised
masses. Buddha, Buddhism and Buddha’s Teachings stand apart, from the mean
materialistic and wastefully destructive ways of aggression, antagonism,
conflicts, conquests, violence, injuries, loss, killings, looting, burning,
rape; cheating, anger, revenge, sabotage, misleading diversionary and delaying
tactics, deliberate cheap blatant lies; exploitations, stealing, swindling,
subterfuge and treachery.
Buddhism
is truly a World Religion. Hardly had it
ever spread through the sword, battle, conquest, crusades, or any force or
violence. It took deep roots through the
teaching preaching and Messages of Love Peace Compassion and Reason that
appealed to the rational Minds and the Natural Instincts of Heart. Buddhism
always had its Answers to the evil effects of the basic instincts of the wild
– anger violence greed and lust. Buddhism could change and turn People into
the Path of Peace Justice and Love, even at the extreme edges of Life. Greatest example is the Change of Heart and
Transformation of Emperor Ashoka, the Great Warrior
and Conqueror, right at the height of his glory in the battlefield and the
moment of his greatest victory after an hard fought
bitter battle.
Buddhism
is the only World Religion of
Human
Rights Problems of Buddhists in the Country can be classified as,
· Right to Existence
· Right to Identity
· Rights of Faith
· Rights of Believers
· Rights of Practitioners
· Rights of Buddhists as
Minorities
· Rights for Protection
from Co-option
· Rights for Freedom from
Assimilation
· Rights to Coexist
· Rights for Survival,
and
· Rights of Out-Castes,
the Avarnas
(Caste-less) in Buddhism
Buddhists
as a People, today is a small Minority in
1.
Traditional Old Buddhists of the Himalayan Regions and foothills
i.
The Buddhists of Ladakh Region in J&K in
the North-Western Region
ii.
The Darjeeling Buddhists of West Bengal and surrounding areas of Siliguri etc in the Eastern Region
iii.
The Buddhists of Arunachal Pradesh in the
North-Eastern Region
iv.
Chakmas, the Buddhist Refugees
from Chittagong Hills of
2.
Traditional Old Buddhists of the Plains, surviving in some parts of the
Central Plains, Deccan Plateau and other parts of the
Country
3.
The Neo-Buddhists of
1.
Traditional Old Buddhists of both the Himalayan Regions and of the
Plains
2.
Members of the ongoing Social Protestant Converts – the Neo Buddhists
In
Addition
to the above Groups, there are the new
arrivals from
The Neo-Buddhists are the
Followers of Baba Saheb Dr BR Ambedkar. They are strangely classified as Neo-Buddhists, to make them stand apart not only within the Country, but
also amongst the World Communities of Buddhists. Some see them as not influenced by Buddha’s
Teachings, Buddhism and Buddhist Ideology or ways of life, but as much as
Political Considerations of following their Leader and Messiah – Baba Saheb Dr BR Ambedkar. Some others see them as restless Seekers of Social Liberation and Human Emancipation.
The new
Converts to Buddhism, trying to follow the Foot-Steps of Baba Saheb Dr BR Ambedkar, are more
conscious People. They are better
educated, and are reasonably well organised.
They are politically active and assertive, even if they may not be
realistically vibrant. Hence, any
Buddhist Conference, Discussion or Writing on Buddhism in this Country or even
elsewhere, pays homage respect and give a prominent and due place to Baba Saheb. Some in fact
refer to Baba Saheb as a Bodhi Satva, though many resent it on some
ideological political social, as well as theological considerations.
Important
positions are given in the Buddhist Circles today, to the Neo-Buddhists. They are and have become that important, due
to considerations of their numbers and the emerging or growing socio-political
scenarios. However, it is a sort of tragedy
that these large numbers of Buddhists are separately and exclusively
classified and referred to as Neo-Buddhists.
That is, as if they are, or are to be distinctly kept as a Specific Group, with
a Separate Identity. No one had
ever heard of Neo-Bahais, Neo-Christians,
Neo-Muslims, Neo-Sikhs etc. Even the brahmins, who don’t openly and publicly accept anyone
into their stratified segregated vertically hierarchic unequal and unjust
social order, don’t call anyone as Neo-Sanatana Dharmists or as neo-hindus. This, though they had been silently co-opting
assimilating and absorbing others to stuff them-in at various lower levels of
the BSO Hierarchy under their control.
Still, as a Policy and as an unwritten Principle, even today they don’t
accept Conversion into their Social Order referred to as religious hinduism or hindu
groups. In spite of this, they have now
begun to accept other Religionists into the BSO, through the back doors of Arya Samaj, or the
various Hare-Krishna Movements. Why then, only the Baba Saheb’s
Followers converting into Buddhism are so singled out? Is this because they are not acceptable as
regular Buddhists? If No, why then the Label, Neo-Buddhists? If Yes, Why? Is it because they are the followers of Baba Saheb, the Great Untouchable? Is it because Baba Saheb
was a Rebel who publicly questioned the long brahmanic order and values very openly? Is it because he had also challenged their
flimsy Mask in Congress publicly? Is it
due to the fact that, he had chosen the Path
of Conversion, that too to Buddhism that was born to Challenge and Reduce
the aryan-brahmanic power and authority? Is it because Buddhism as seen as an
important significant way to Liberate his downtrodden helpless People? Or is it because they are all SC Dalits? Is it
because those SC Dalits had gone out of the Control
and suzerainty of the brahmins
and other caste hindus? Or is it because of the fact that, they dared
to Convert, had the guts to walk out of BSO? Is it because that he had the temerity to
show their backs to the brahmins,
throw out their yokes of slavery in the BSO, and had publicly and openly taken
the option to Convert? This is an Identity Crisis of this large
Group of modern Buddhists. It is a big
Human Right Problem.
Today,
it is not only the Followers of Baba Saheb converting
into Buddhism face an Identity Crisis, but Buddhism as a whole face
an Identity Problem here in
Buddhism
had always been an Universal Religion.
Buddhists and Buddhism may be persecuted. They may have to encounter many hardships for
their Religious Faith and Practices as in
Buddhism
had in fact been practically wiped out of this Country, though this is the Land
of its Origin. This is the
Buddhism,
wherever it went was accepted almost by everyone with an open mind and clean
heart – be that the poor and the rich, the lowly and the high, the commoners
and the rulers, the workers and emperors.
Even the brahmanic
leaders and chiefs could not neglect Buddhism.
They had to patronise Buddhist Monks and Nuns, even though they had
their own personal agenda to put-down, by-pass and marginalise Buddhism. That, to revive brahmanism and restore brahmins
at the helm of social cultural political and economic affairs of the people,
through ritualistic domination and ruinous practices.
The
Identity Crisis of Buddhists and Buddhism in this Country has its Origins in
the mystic pre-historic days of this Land.
It is an ongoing and lingering Racial Antagonism between the aggressively destructive marauding aryans and their opposing native people. Emergence of Jainism and the Birth of Buddhism comes into new light,
by the expert view and analytically articulated projection and preposition by
Prof TS Kalanjali.
That places both the decline of the BSO, and importance of Jainism and
Buddhism, their ultimate decay, brahmanic
antagonism in a proper logical sequence focus and rational perspective. It traces the aryan-brahmanic
antagonism against Buddhism, and to the aryan-brahmanic
fixation to Fire and Water and their careless practices of cruelty destruction
wastefulness and pollution. Fire Worship which developed into a ritualistic entertainment
through cruel and wasteful practices of Sacrifice – Live and Surrogative.
The nomadic aryans not used to settle life,
generally disposed off their wastes and dead by discarding them on the
waysides, without any second thoughts.
Whenever they stayed at any place for any short-periods, whatever be the
reason, they dumped the unwanted wastes near their halting places, or disposed
them off as well as their dead by consigning everything in fire. Alternatively, wherever feasible, they
discarded the bodies of the dead animals, even threw away the human beings and
dead bodies of their family members and enemies, and disposed off other wastes
in running water, or fire. These in fact
they do even today, whenever possible or necessary, as at the times of riots,
caste and communal clashes.
The aryans,
when they were attracted by availability of plenty of food fodder and water in
the
Fire Worship and Sacrifices, became
the Centre and important feature to become the order of the day of any aryan settlement. This was resented and opposed by the Native
People in the Country, thinkers, ideologists and many local rulers. The anger against the aryans
increased by stages as the aryans expanded, and moved
out of Indus Valley into the surrounding Harappan
Settlements. When they last their
political hold to the Persian Conquerors, the aryans
developed twin strategies. One to retain
their hold on the Society, they had to accept the Power and Sovereign Authority
of the Resident Persian Governors – the Kshatrapavans and their local Commanders. They became the Priests – the aryan turned brahmin
priests for the rulers and the mighty or socially economically and politically
important Individuals. Thus they emerged
as exclusive important Priests in the Circles of Power, resenting and keeping
aside at safe distance the working classes and other common people, including
the ordinary local traders merchants and other vendors. The other group of aryan marauders chose to move South and East in
search of new pastures and land.
As one group
moved to the
Mahavira,
his Preachings and precepts of Jainism were hard on
the People, particularly the Commoners.
The Natives like any human beings in any part of the World, being
natural meat-eating people, found it hard to accept the extreme prescriptions
of Mahavira and his Jainism. Then came
Buddha. Buddha spoke about his Middle Path of stopping the sacrifices,
wasteful offerings to fire, and all forms of ritualistic violences
and killings. Buddha was against
injuries, crimes, cruelty against living things, loss of life, avoidable
suffering, inflicting wanton misery, meaningless killings and all types of
wasteful practices and hollow rituals.
It is for these reasons that he was against Sacrifices, and opposed the aryan-brahmanic Rituals.
Buddhism did not ban and allowed the People to consume Meat Fish and
Poultry, as well as the Poultry Products and those of Animal Husbandry.
Widespread resentment of the
People that prevailed against the aryan-brahmins, aryan-brahmanic priests, aryanic
ways of life, the antagonism against aryan-brahmin
leaders and their cruel practices of domination marginalisation
and exploitation of the Common People, found a relief in Buddhism. Thus, Buddhism
appealed to the Native People, and spread fast far and wide amongst every
Section of the Society. The aryan-brahmins lost face and their social hold on the
People. This, the brahmins and their brahmanic
social order, had never forgotten. That
was their fountainhead of hatred against Buddhists, and springing stone of
opposition to Buddhism, through out the history of this Country. These, take the shape of every conceivable
forms of soft subtle and specific Human Right Violation against Buddhists.
Today in an Internationally Open
World, the opposition and violations become more discreet but subversive. Hence the Identity Crisis,
of Buddhists and Buddhism in this Country. This is cleverly based on the confusions
deliberately being created by the brahmins,
hindu fundamentalists and their fascist leaders, with
ample and full support of academicians including hollow biased researchers,
officials, courts and the media. All the
myths they are trying to create are to deny the separate social existence of
Buddhists as a People, and Buddhism as a Religion, superior Ideology and great
Philosophy. Their single aim is to
destroy Buddhism as a distinct different and separate Religion. For this they take to an extremely funny
subterfuge.
The fundamentalist fascist hindus
have a pervasive subversive logic against Buddhists in this Country, and in
denying the Buddhists the Buddhist Identity. They start saying that Buddhism is an Indian
Religion, born and preached on the Indian Soil.
And the Buddhists in this Country, being Citizens of this Nation, are
Indians. Indians in English means
residents of
As per the fundamentalist fascist hindus and their brahmanic masters,
no Buddhist can claim, has any right, and hence can be given a separate
Identity as a Buddhist, or as separate Religious Practitioner and
Follower. This is clear
Social Subversion, typical Religious Treachery, and Political Sabotage. This is not only a cunning attempt to deny
Buddhism and Buddhists their Identity, but is a clear measure to destroy
confuse co-opt absorb assimilate and digest the Buddhists below the brahmins in the BSO, for brahmanic advantages and continued survival. This has a strong Political Sanction, silent
Administrative Support, clear Executive Backing, mollified Media, Judicial and Govt Approval, as well as Religious Sanction of all cheap
fundamentalist fascist hindu
religious leaders, and their screaming street violent thugs.
All other Claims and Rights, be that Constitutional Rights, Legal Rights, Social Rights,
Civic Rights, Civil Rights, Human Rights and even Natural Rights etc can only
flow from the basic Right to Identity.
Once that is denied and the Identity is destroyed, one becomes confused,
internally mad, socially irrelevant, politically non-existent, and ends up as a
split personality, with loyalties pulled apart in different directions, Life
becomes meaningless. Existence turns
irrelevant. Hence all the other elements
of ones Human Rights are of no Relevance.
Right to existence and survival based on the Right to Identity are the
basic Human Rights of any Individual Group Section of Society and Religious
Group, even in a Theocratic Polity. What
then to speak about a Secular Nation with a Democratic and Republican framework
of Govt. Yet while the fundamentalist
fascist hindus play havoc,
the Govts, NGOs, HR Activists, Courts, Officials and
the Media all maintain a conspiratory silence.
The fascists and fundamentalists,
always play havoc in any part of the World.
But that gets compounded here in this land due to Casteism
based on Racism, rooted in millenniums of historic oppression exploitation
marginalisation, and denial of Equality and Justice. Yet, the brahmin baniya based educated elites, amply supported by the kshatriya and kayasth elements,
active in Society, Politics, Govt Services, and as NGOs or Activist Groups, and
Human Right Activists, are sitting silent, smugly indifferent to the Problems
of the Masses who all fill the ranks of the marginalised Weaker Sections – the
SC&ST Dalits, Backward Classes, and helpless
Minorities. The helpless Minorities
include in order of denigration unacceptability as not to be tolerated or digestible
and persecution – the unacceptable Muslims, unwanted Christians, unwanted
Sikhs, undesirable Buddhists and confused Jains. This, when whole truth history and origin of
Buddhism and its Birth are being sought to be submerged by hindu fundamentalists with fascist arrogance of their
manipulated majority and crude power.
Buddhists are thus denigrated discriminated discreetly harassed as
undesirable Buddhists in this Country.
Baba Saheb’s
Followers, who walked with him to embrace Buddhism, are further denigrated by
references as Neo-Buddhists. That
actually sets them apart in any Social, Political, Cultural and Religious
Gatherings. They are thus sought to be
segregated and separately identified, distinctly different from Buddhists from Ladakh, Buddhists from Shillong,
Buddhists from Arunachal, Buddhist Chakmas settled and kept as the homeless in many States and
Union Territories of North-East and the National Capital of Delhi, as well as
the Buddhist Refugees from Tibet, and also the Buddhists of dominant caste
origins like brahmins kshatriyas
baniyas kayasths etc. The Neo-Buddhists, though Buddhists are being
subjected to –
1. all
the Discriminations as SC Dalits in this Country are,
because of their SC Dalit Origins
2. special
discriminations for opting to believe and follow the Social Rebel and Political
Paraya – Baba Saheb Dr BR Ambedkar, who had the temerity to challenge Gandhi and
Congress
3. specific
and planned Discriminations for their rebellious attitudes to turn their back
to brahmanism and embrace Buddhism, following the
advice and in the footsteps of Baba Saheb Dr BR Ambedkar
4. every Human Rights
Violations because they try now, to assert their Dues and Rights
5. the General and
Traditional Harassments, as Minorities
One need not here
Catalogue the Discriminations, Exploitations, Humiliations, Marginalisation,
and Human Right Violations of SC Dalits and
Minorities. They are all historic, well
documented and widely known and discussed almost everywhere and every time the
issue arises or comes up for discussions.
In spite of all the
above, we have to specially recognise that Baba Saheb’s
Followers, being kept apart as Neo-Buddhists for their SC Dalit
Origins. They were subject to an unique perverted Discrimination. They were denied their own identity of being
a part of the larger SC Dalit Masses. That till Mr Ram Vilas Paswan
and Mr VP Singh gave them their due Right to be recognised, normally by the
Govt as SC Dalits – Buddhist SC Dalits. That was in 1990.
Buddhist ST Dalits are facing similar Problems – though somewhat
different in specific details. Buddhists
from Ladakh Region of J&K were not recognised as
ST Dalits till the eighties, though they were
universally recognised by their looks as Tribals
world over. Buddhist Chakmas
from the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh, who
had come to
Summing up, the Human Right Issues
and Problems of Buddhists and Buddhism, which need to be recognised and looked
into are –
1. Rights of Identity
2. Right to be a Religion
3. Right to be a Separate
from hinduism
4. Right to be Free from hindu Expansionism
5. Rights of Protection
from hindu Aggression
6. Right to avoid hindu Domination
7. Right to Live as
Buddhists
8. Right to Survive as
Buddhists
9. Right to Save Buddhism
from fascists fanatic hindus
10. Right to Preserve
Buddhism as an Independent Religion, away from semantic confusions
___________________________________________________
* A Paper Published
in the Journal
** Mr Manohara Prasad, was the first Director (1992-96) of Dr Ambedkar Foundation, set up by Govt of India, during the Centenary
Celebration of Baba Saheb Dr BR Ambedkar
– to honour the Founder of Modern Buddhism in
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